Lonely Eyes
by JennabellxBaby
Summary: One-shot of what could have been, back before Red Reddington surrendered to the FBI. Pre-Lizzington.


_*Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.*_

_Tuesday night crowded bar  
Some guy lights a cheap cigar  
Bartender yells at him  
So he walks out and you walk in  
Right through that cloud of smoke  
Catcalls and dirty jokes  
Scan the room a couple times  
Find a seat right next to mine_

She didn't know how she ended up there. She was walking aimlessly and ended up in front of the nondescript dive bar and it just felt…right. Reaching for the door handle, she was nearly knocked over as it opened and a half drunk man stumbled out, smoking a cigar. Waving the smoke from her face, Liz caught the door as it was closing and stepped in.

Squinting, she scanned the room looking for an empty chair at the bar. For a Tuesday, the place was crowded. She had two options. To her left, a big burly man who fit the stereotype of a biker had an empty chair next to him, and to her far right, the next to the last chair at the bar was next to an older, distinguished looking gentleman in a three piece suit. Deciding he looked particularly less creepy than the leering biker, she made for the right of the bar and gingerly sat down next to the man. He looked lost in thought and she didn't want to disturb him. Waving her hand at the bartender, Liz ordered herself a glass of wine. Waiting for her wine, Liz pulled her phone from her back pocket and checked it. Sighing when she saw she had no new messages, she sat it down on the bar top. She should have known. Ronnie was a stubborn man. If they made it through this fight, she would have to be the one that gave in. He would not come to her. He would not apologize.

_Lonely eyes  
Well, it sure looks like  
You just might  
Be looking for something  
For something, whoa  
Look at me  
And I think you'll see  
Those lonely eyes  
Don't have to be alone tonight_

Maybe she should just take this opportunity and end it. All they did lately was fight. It turned out he was nothing but a thief and their relationship was obviously going nowhere. She grew up and out of that life but it didn't appear he had any interest in it.

Taking a sip of her wine, her attention was drawn to the man next to her. He had sat his glass on the bar top and was softly stroking the rim of the glass with his index finger. She wondered briefly what his story was. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring, but she noticed a black fedora sitting on the bar to his right. He was one of few men in the bar not leering or making rude comments that she could hear but was ignoring. Catching his eye, she smiled softly and looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring. She checked her phone again just for something to do, but again, no new messages. She sat her glass back down, staring into the depths of the liquid, lost once more in thought.

_They analyze your glass of wine  
Roll away a pickup line  
Now and then they check your phone  
Catch mine and let 'em go  
From the little bit I've seen  
They're the perfect shade of green  
Next time they come my way,  
Heaven help me make 'em stay_

Lizzie became acutely aware of the man to her right as he shifted ever so slightly in her direction. She thought he may speak, but after a few moments passed without a sound, she figured she was imagining things. She snuck a glance through her lashes and once more caught his eye and looked away again. She found herself focusing on him, becoming more and more distracted from her own problems. Thinking to herself, what could it hurt to practice her profiling techniques? He would never know, and she would never know if she was right or wrong. _Hmm… let's see. No wedding ring, so not married. That doesn't discount the possibility of a family man, however. Fedora, three piece suit, but in a dive bar on the edge of the wrong side of town, which leads me to think he'd be comfortable in any setting. The three piece suit lends an air of a man in control, a man of confidence. One of the few men in this place not making crude comments, so an apparent gentlemen. Haven't heard him speak, but if I had to wager a guess, his voice would be deep, smooth, suave. His eyes… intense. A man in control. _Lizzie quietly scoffed to herself. She would never know if she even came close. Her concentration was momentarily broken by the vibration of her phone on the bar top. Taking another swallow of wine, she drummed her fingers on the face of her phone, delaying the inevitable. It would be Ronnie, laying the guilt trip on thick. That's how it always went.

_Don't make me pay my tab  
Catch a cab  
Go home and kick myself to sleep tonight  
Give me a sign  
Just a smile  
Baby, I'll be glad to lose myself deep inside_

Taking a deep breath, she blew it forcefully out of her mouth. Swallowing the last of her wine, she stood, deciding to face facts. She would end it with Ronnie, move on. There was no future for them. It's better to stop wasting time. Taking one last look out of the corner of her eye at the mysterious man to her right, she pulled some cash from her pocket and laid it next to her empty glass. Although she felt his eyes on her, she didn't make eye contact. Grabbing her phone, she turned and made her way out of the bar. Reaching for the door, she was momentarily thrown off balance by it opening from the other side. The man opening the door held her steady and apologized.

"Oh, I'm sorry! There. Are you alright?" He said.

"Yes, yes, thank you. I'm fine." Lizzie laughed. She looked into his eyes and smiled. He had such pretty eyes.

"I'm Tom, by the way." He held out his hand. Lizzie grabbed it.

"Elizabeth." He smoothly turned her hand over and kissed the back of it. Lizzie blushed. _What a complete gentleman. _Lizzie laughed softly as she slid past Tom.

"Well, goodnight." She said. Tom gave her a smile and waved. Lizzie turned just as the door shut and looked towards the far right corner of the bar. Half hidden in shadows, the man in the suit sat, staring towards her. She couldn't see all of his face, but she was sure he was staring into her eyes.

_Lonely eyes  
Lonely eyes  
Sure looks like  
You just might  
Be looking for something  
For something, whoa  
Look at me  
And I think you'll see  
Those lonely eyes  
They don't have to be alone tonight_

_4 years later…._

"Agent Keen, what a pleasure…"

_Lonely eyes, you don't have to be alone tonight_


End file.
